. the president is talking about immigration and gun control and energy and all the rest, but he's locked in trench warfare with republicans over the budget. >> look, that's going to happen. it is happening. but if the american people can't understand -- i love that they say, well, the polls showed you should tax the rich. well, great, i'm ready for that. but they also said that 75% of them said cut spending. if anybody can't get that, and if you can't cut, forget the word "cut." you stabilize, do something with health care. stabilize social security. for god's sake, there are 16 people paying into that, and one taking out when i was a freshman at the university of wyoming. now there are three people paying into that baby and one taking out, and the life expectancy is 78.1 instead of 60. what the hell? who's kidding who? >> all right. senator alan simpson, and erskine bowles. simpson-bowles. thank you both very much this morning. >>> i want to bring in our roundtable for some reaction. joining me at the table, former speaker of the house newt gingrich. columnist for "the washington post"